Improvement in electric music-sheets



W. F. 84H. SCHMOELE, Jr.

. v ELECTRIC MUSIC-SHEET.

No.170 40Z, Patented Nov. 23,1875.

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N. FEES, FHOTO-LITHOGRAF'HER. WASHINGTON D C passing to the action inquestion.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

WILLIAlll F. SOHMOELE AND HENRY SOHMOELE JRM, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS OF ONETHIRD THEIR RIGHT TO CHARLES SOHMOELE, OFSAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRIC MUSIC-SHEETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 170,402, datedNovember 23,1875; application filed May 15, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM FORD SoHMoELE and HENRY SoHMoELn, Jr., bothof the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented an improved music-sheet for automatic electric performance onorgans and other musical instruments by perfora ions or holes in thesheet, of which the following is a specification:

Our invention consists in a music-sheet formed by the representation ofthe notes in duplex or twin columns or note-spaces, of which the twomembers constituting each pair are located at distances apart, yet,practically, form but one and the same note-space, as

the two readers corresponding to them are 5 made to intercommunicateelectrically, and to control the same note on the instrument.

In the figure the note'space O O on the left-hand side of the sheet W XY Z, and the space 0 C on the right-hand side, both con- 7 trol theaction of the sound or note 0 through the converging of the line-wiresgiven off by the respective readers to a common line-wire Similarly thetwo spaces D D and D D control a common action on the instrument, and soon for the other note-spaces.

Any long note, H H H H exceeding, say, half an inch in length, isdivided among its two note-spaces, D D and D D by commencing it, H, onone side, and continuing it, E on the other, and returning, H ifnecessary, to the first side, and so on, H, alternating from side toside as often as the length of the note may require. The alternatedholes H H H H are made to overlap each other electricallythat is to say,the second perforation H is commenced at a point, I, ahead of where, J,the first hole H ceases, and the third begins ahead of the end of thesecond, and so forth-in order that there may be no break or interruptionin the stream of electricity flowing to the action alternately fromopposite sides of the sheet.

Besides facilitating the representation of long notes, the twin orduplex columns presite side of the sheet.

serve the solidity of the sheet in chromatic runs, whose notes K K Kshould be alternated from side to side, leaving a bar or bridge of paperbetween each. Again, in passages M N, where the same note immediatel yrepeats, the alternate collocation of the perforations obviates thedelicate partitions of paper, which would otherwise be necessary torepresent the break, or instant of silence, between the two notes. Thus,the fraction P of a block deducted from the end of the note M, torepresent the break between it and the note N, would, were N placedimmediately behind M, constitute a narrow partition liable to be easilytorn by any rough handling of the sheet; whereas such partition isentirely avoided by placing the note N, as in the figure, in the othercolumn, on the oppo- Finally, in trills, Q R Q R and S I S T and insimilar movements, U V U V the duplex columns are of great advantageinpermitting the alternating of successive notes of the same name toopposite sides of the sheet.

Certain notes, L? L L L L L such as drum-roll, &c., which are used veryfrequently, should have triple columns assigned them.

It being inconvenient either to stamp or print the music in long rolls,the necessity arises of joining several sheets together to form onepiece.

To avoid retarding the rollers by the extra thickness of the paper atthe seams O 0, (which retardation would derange the time of the music atsuch points), recourse is had to making the rollers bite upon the paperonly at the sides, and to bending the margins of the sheets over uponthemselves to form flaps X 0 and 0 Z, except where the seams areindicated in the figure by the dotted lines, at which places, 0, theflaps are entirely cut away.

It is obvious that when thus prepared the musicsheet presents, at allplaces along its borders, a double thickness of paper to the rollerst'.6., the double thickness at the seams, and the sheet and inverted flapelsewhere.

The object of our inventionis to increase performance, substantially asand for thepurthe solidity of the sheet by dividing the long posesdescribed. notes, and by scattering those which would 2. lhe electricmusic-sheet provided with otherwise come into close juxtaposition; and,the flap and joint, substantially as and for the secondly, to so jointogether the component purpose set forth. sheets of the roll as topresent at all points the same thickness of paper to the rollers. E i gEE E ES We claim as our invention- 1. The electric music-sheet providedwith Witnesses: twin or multiple columns for the representa- H.SOHMOELE, M. D., tion of perforated musical notes for electrical CHARLESSoHMoELE.

